Although his career has had its fair share of ups and downs — from the highs of his work in the seventies with Genesis, to the relative low of his album with prog-rock "supergroup" GTR (which inspired the now-famous one-word review "SHT") — I've always admired Steve Hackett as a guitarist.
In particular, Hackett's albums with Genesis showed him to be a strikingly versatile and original guitarist with many different sides to offer that band, back when they were still more interested in experimenting with the boundaries of what rock music had to offer, than in simply cranking out the hits.
Several examples of this are given a reprise on the bonus six-song disc included as part of Steve Hackett's new album Out Of The Tunnel's Mouth.
The bonus E.P. features a sampling of Hackett's best songs from the Genesis days performed live with his current band, including the beautiful classical/flamenco inspired playing of "Blood On The Rooftops" and a slightly abbreviated, but nonetheless killer version of perhaps his most famous (and best) guitar solo ever on "Firth On Fifth."
On the latter, Hackett's signature use of sustain is simply breathtaking even now — the notes bending, crying and hanging in mid-air in a way where every second is made to count. It's one of those rare guitar solos whose economy leaves you wanting more, and a lesson more than a few modern rock guitarists could learn from.
While Hackett's catalog as a solo artist has been a bit more spotty — and has included everything from prog-rock to classical — his best albums like Voyage Of The Acolyte and especially the great Spectral Mornings have likewise focused on his economical, but textured style of playing.
With the new Out Of The Tunnel's Mouth, Hackett makes a welcome return to rock, on an album that nonetheless draws from numerous other musical influences which vary from classical to middle-eastern.
Backed mostly by a six-piece band, co-led by keyboardist and musical director Roger King, the scope here is sweeping and symphonic as evidenced from the get-go on lead-off track "Fire On The Moon." The track also wastes no time in getting to one of Hackett's trademark solos, and that wonderful use of sustain. There's nothing quite like hearing a guitar that seems to cry forever dancing around the deep, thick bass lines of Yes bassist Chris Squire either.
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Article comments
1 - Mark Saleski
interesting about how our personal tastes work with music. as i've said before, i never liked Hackett. not sure why. same goes for Alan Holdsworth. they sound similar to me.
2 - Glen Boyd
Hackett's playing is much more emotionally based and uses more color and shade than the more clinical Holdsworth does. But I understand and I "get" the fact that you don't "get" Hackett, Mark.
We obviously can't agree on everything (though when it comes to music, we do on most things), so I likewise have to respect the fact that when you comes to Steve, you just can't "hack it" (sorry, couldn't resist).
Your Steve Hackett is probably just somewhat akin to my own Jerry Garcia that way...
-Glen
3 - Mark Saleski
hoo boy, a Steve Hackett pun. it must be friday.
and yeah, i hear it the other way around. lots of emotion in Jerry...none with Steve.
4 - Glen Boyd
I hear lots of acid with Jerry...not that this is a disqualifier in itself (some of my favorite records of all time come from much place).
I don't find the Dead so much lacking in emotion as I do just really boring, much as I have tried to "get it" with them over the years (to the point of going out to see them live in the hopes of doing so -- sorry, no dice there either though).
Alan Holdsworth on the other hand, now that's about as clinical as a sterile hospital ward.
-Glen
5 - Glen Boyd
come from much the same place meant to say above (coffee?....)
-Glen
6 - Matt West
Obviously, our musical loves are very personal. To me, Steve's best albums are "Momentum", "To Watch the Storms", and "Wild Orchids". "Storms" and "Orchids" are far better than anything he did in the 70's, 80's, or 90's.